THE REMOVALISTS
Australia, 1975, 93 minutes, Colour.
Peter Cummins, John Hargreaves, Jacki Weaver, Chris Haywood, Kate Fitzpatrick, Martin Harris.
Directed by Tom Jeffrey.
The Removalists: David Williamson has grown in reputation, especially in theatre. His screenplays have been Ocker comedy-satires. This film gives insight into Williamson's style and themes because it is very much the filmed play: the sets are confined almost to two rooms and the emphasis is on the blunt and incisive dialogue. One laughs initially at the satire on Australian suburbia and suburban police, but the film becomes savage on our Australian cruelty to one another, the amount of hate that can be brought out of us. This culminates in an instinctive violence, symbolised in the police brutality that is self-righteously justified. Acting is excellent.
1. The significance of the title and expectations? The focus on themes? The basis from David Williamson's experience?
2. The Removalists as symbols? The identification in attitude of the Removalist with the policeman? The fascist symbolism and significance?
3. How evident was it that the film was based on a play? The confined locations? The confined action? The emphasis on dialogue and character interaction? The importance of theme in the dialogue?
4. The contribution of the colour, the locations of the police station, the room? The musical background?
5. The Australian emphasis? Themes, atmosphere, language. attitudes? Was the film made for Australian audiences or for overseas audiences?
6. How did the interaction of characters illustrate the themes? Comment on each of the characters and their exploration; in the contribution to theme.
7. Symmons: twenty-three years a policeman, his initial patter, his way of life at the station, watching television etc, his beliefs about his way of life, his courtesy to visitors, his Catholic wife, his resentments in the job, attitude towards the job, lust and brutality? His disrespect? His ability to scandalise? His puritanical talk? His excuse of violence? His avoiding of responsibility? His going berserk? His covering up? His condemnation of Mrs Mason? His pushing of Ross? His self congratulations? An ordinary man and what he's capable of?
8. Ross: his first day at work, the underlying attitude, his theory of efficiency, the police training mould, his past learning(his passing the psychology course through sickness)? The modern young policeman, like the old? His attitude towards his job? Hits, helping with the removalists work? His attraction towards violence? His attitude towards Mrs Mason? His satisfaction in doing work? His going berserk? The death? The cover-up? His fear? The potential of the young, ordinary man for violence?
9. The Removalist: his professionalism, doing his job, wasting his money, the attack on Kenny? His observation of the characters? His obvious identification with the policeman and their attitudes? The man in the street identifying with such brutality, even when in theory he disapproves of it, of policeman?
10. Marilyn: the ordinary young woman, pushed around by her sister, background of her marriage, her child? Loving Kenny and not loving him? Her bruises? Wanting to take the furniture - a symbol of her marriage? her bewilderment by the proceedings?
11. Mrs Mason, her snobbish attitude wanting the sergeant to attend to her, her pushing of Marilyn, her society background, the scandals and infidelity, her being abused by Symmons, her anger, her resentment towards Kenny, the class background of the resentment? What values did she stand, for? the ordinary woman in society? Real or a caricature?
12. Kenny: the ordinary man of the street, the background of his marriage, his relationship with Marilyn, his drinking? His cruelty? Yet the victim of them all? A loser? Abused by the removalists and the police? His house stripped of everything? How much of this did he deserve? His being bashed? The police trying to cover it up? His going to the police function? His death? The emotional impact of his death on the audience?
13. Comment on the interaction of the characters and their providing insight into themes of friendship, love, hate, power, manipulation cruelty, violence, sadism, law, the abuse of the law, justice, right and wrong, responsibility.
14. How important were the themes explored. How valuably?
